Goodbye's The Saddest Word
by KayBeth13
Summary: When Relena is almost assassinated, her daughter rushes to be by her side and protect her. So, it seems, does one Heero Yuy, who does not realise that he is the father to Relena's child. Can the pair work together to save Relena or will it just be one thing too much for Heero to manage?
1. Kerrina

_Hey guys, I've been away for such a long time, I know! I'd lost all inspiration to write but it's back a little bit now._

_This story was inspired by the sudden and unexpected death of my mum a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to put my feelings down somewhere and decided to write a story about the loss of someone special. Pretty much all the character's feelingd even from this chapter are reflective of my feelings and thoughts at times before my mum died and are how I felt afterwards. So I hope you all like the story._

_Dedicated to my mum, who I love and miss so much xxxx_

...

Duo flinched as the front door slammed shut, followed by a torrent of words that would turn any room blue as the female who slammed the door walked past the room he was sitting in.

"Everything okay?" he called out.

The mumbling stopped and the footsteps moved closer. A few seconds later a young woman's head came round the door, strands of her blonde hair falling out of her braid and falling into her deep blue eyes that flashed dangerously in anger, but thankfully not aimed at him, duo silently mused.

"Not really." She said.

"Your mom?" he queried.

Her eyes narrowed in response and he knew that he'd hit the nail on the head. To say she had an easy relationship with her mother was an understatement, but there were times he could see that his charge was even more annoyed by her mother than usual. Times like now. He calmly waited for her to let out a few deep breaths and sit down before asking her what was wrong.

"What's wrong is my mother has asked me to yet again drop everything in order to come home and help her prepare for this gala she's organising because she really wants me to be a part of it! It's just so frustrating as she doesn't seem to realise that I resent having to be at these things when people don't even know who I am and think I'm just an undercover preventer, or an aide, not her DAUGHTER for Christ's sake!"

Duo sighed as she visibly deflated and sank back into the chair. It was a rant she'd had many times in her twenty-one years of life, but it was always the same resentments that came out.

"Honey, you know full well people don't know your true identity because it would make you a target. Hence why you live here and work as a part time preventer, so you can spend some time with her."

"I know that Uncle Duo, it's just I'm at college now so it's harder to just drop my work to be with her."

Duo stood up and smiled before kissing the top of her head.

"I know, but it'll work out for the best, trust me."

He received a small smile before they both flinched as the door slammed and a second female came into the house, cursing down the hallway.

"I think I'd better go and see what's wrong with my daughter. I'm always here to talk if you need me."

Kerri Maxwell AKA Kerrina Peacecraft, daughter of Relena Peacecraft smiled as her uncle left the room. He was right of course, she was protected here and the world was better off not knowing who she was. The only issue she had was not knowing her father, or even who he was.

How could she hide who she really was from the world when she herself didn't know exactly who she was?


	2. Dancefloors and Discussions

_Hi all, the main action will start in the next chapter, I just wanted this chapter to look at how Kerri interacts with her mother and her 'uncles'- enjoy!_

As Kerri watched the foreign dignitaries waltz around the ballroom, she couldn't help but sigh and shuffle uncomfortably from foot to foot. Beside her, Trowa let out a soft smile.

"Beginning to wish you were in uniform?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"You have no idea" she replied.

Trowa smiled again but had to admit that in her deep violet dress paired with black heels and silver earrings and bracelets, she looked beautiful. Her hair fell down in soft waves, the very ends brushing against the base of her back, only it was no longer blonde but was now a rich, vibrant red. In Trowa's eyes, the red suited her even more than her natural blonde, but he would never voice it out loud in fear of Relena overhearing him. Relena had always disliked the rebellious streak her daughter possessed and when she saw Kerri climb out of his car three days ago, he saw it took all her inner strength not to shout.

Even now as Relena passed them, she gave her daughter a small frown and Trowa knew it was because she thought her daughter should have been wearing a floor length ball gown, not the just-above knee-length, well fitted one she was in. He noticed Kerri raise an eyebrow in response and Relena flushed slightly.

"So, you haven't grown out of annoying her yet?" he asked her.

Kerri's gaze darkened and she glared at the floor.

"I have, it's just this is who I am now. Look, I love her to bits but I will always have that issue of being sent away for fifty out of fifty-two weeks in the year and yes okay as a child I just wanted to annoy her in every way, now I'm just me. I didn't choose my hair and dress to annoy her, I chose it because they are both what fits my style."

Trowa nodded in understanding.

"Maybe then you should just tell her. I know she's busy but you're home for a few days, so try to sit with her to discuss some of these things."

Kerri's gaze turned thoughtful and Trowa returned to sweeping his gaze around the room while the girl next to him slipped into a trance while she pondered. She didn't even notice when a tall, blonde man walked up to her and it wasn't until he wrapped his arms round her and spun her round that she let out a small shriek of surprise, snapped out of her thoughts.

"Quatre!" she yelled, but her voice was of laughter, not anger.

Quatre placed her back on the floor and kissed the top of her head.

"Hello Kerrina, I didn't know you would be here as a civilian." he commented.

"Well, I'm more undercover. I made sure to wear a dress that could hide a gun and shoes that I could actually run in should it be needed." she said back.

Quatre blinked in surprise a few times before chuckling, then turned to clap Trowa on the shoulder.

"How are you my friend?" he asked the taller man.

Kerri slipped away from the pair as they began talking and decided to do her own checks on the security, just in case. She knew from experience that it was never a bad thing being too cautious. She moved over to a staircase to one side of the ballroom and made her way above to the balcony, giving her a birds-eye view. As she looked around at the smiling guests below her, she felt something brush her arm and turned to see her mother standing next to her.

"Miss Dorlian" she greeted with a nod, noticing the people standing close to them were listening intently.

Relena turned to face her and gave her a soft smile. She lifted a hand and gently touched a strand of fiery red hair.

"Your hair colour brings out your , and with that dress, you look beautiful." She said.

Kerri tilted her head slightly, trying to see if Relena was joking, but saw no sign of dishonesty in her mother's eyes. Realising Relena had accepted her new look, she beamed happily.

"Thank you. The dress you are wearing tonight also makes you look more beautiful than normal." she replied.

The guests near them seemed to grow bored of their conversation and Kerri sighed as they walked away. She also noticed Relena do the same thing and couldn't help but smirk at how similar they were at times.

"I'm sorry to have dragged you here Kerrina. I know you hate it when I pull you away from Duo."

Kerri said nothing at first, thinking of how to respond. Relena took it as a sign her daughter didn't wish to speak with her and turned to leave, but Kerri stopped her.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking of what to say. Look, yes I hate being pulled away but only when it's such short notice. But don't think I hate spending time with you, because I don't. I love being back here, although between you and me, I'm still not very comfortable at these parties, especially when I have to wear dresses. Can I please wear uniform next time?" she asked, still keeping her voice low.

Relena smiled softly and nodded before gliding back down to the lower floor and rejoin the guests, leaving behind a smiling daughter. Kerri watched her mother leave before deciding to follow suit. As soon as she reached the bottom step, she found herself being swept in Quatre's arms and led around the dance floor in a waltz. She laughed and quickly fell into step, mentally thanking Duo for making her take dance lessons as a child for occasions such as these.

...

later that night, Trowa parked his car in front of Relena's mansion and Kerri jumped out.

"So, you're driving me to the shuttle port tomorrow, right?" she asked.

Trowa nodded and drove off while Kerri slipped into the side door, very much aware of the few paparazzi that were lurking out of the front gate and successfully avoiding them. She shut the door behind her and immediately kicked off her heels.

"Thank god!" she sighed.

The light suddenly clicked on and she dropped down behind the counter, immediately pulling her gun out from the leg holster under her dress and clicking the safety off.

"Kerrina, it's only me" came Relena's voice.

Kerri popped back up to see her mother giving her an amused smile, but she could also see a hint of pride there too.

"Sorry about that." she apologised.

"No apologies needed, it's what you trained to do"

Kerri flinched slightly at the disappointment she heard and placed the gun on the counter.

"Mom, you sent me away. If I'd grown up here maybe I would be in politics too. Unfortunately you put me with Duo, so is it really any surprise I've turned into a grease monkey-turned-Preventer?"

Relena chuckled, shaking her head gently.

"I suppose you're right. Now, I'm heading to bed as I have work tomorrow. Good Night sweetheart."

Kerri smiled and waved as her mother left, then decided to quickly sweep the parameter before turning in herself.


	3. Shot?

_So, the excitement begins! I really hope you all think this chapter is a bit better than the last couple! _

_..._

A week later, Kerri found herself alone in the house, something that for the Maxwell's, was a very rare occurrence. Still, she didn't question it and instead made no move other than to change into her sweats and drop down onto the sofa, ready to catch up on her shows that she's missed whilst she'd been away. Just as she was half way through her second show, her hone began to buzz, flashing up that it was none other than Trowa. With a sigh of annoyance at having her peace interrupted, she answered the call.

"Hey Uncle Trowa, what's up?"

"Turn on the news."

Hearing the urgency in his voice, Kerri quickly flicked the TV to the news and almost dropped the remote in shock as the headline flashed across the screen "RELENA DORLAIN SHOT".

"Is she okay?" she asked. already grabbing her keys and heading to the front door as she spoke.

"She's unconscious but thankfully, the bullet only hit her shoulder. The people who did it vanished with no trace, but we are trying to hunt them down. She's just gone into surgery now, so should be awake by the time you get here. I assume you're coming?"

"I'm already in my car. See you in a few hours" was all Kerri responded with before ending the call and peeling down the driveway to the shuttle port.

Fortunately, she was on a flight within the hour, thanks to flashing the security guards her badge that not only told them she was a preventer but also showed that she was on Relena's personal security. While on the flight, she received a text from Duo, telling her he would be joining her later that day, and another from Quatre telling her he was coming but had to collect someone first who would help track down the would-be assassins. Kerri sighed in relief and comfort knowing that with three out of five gundam pilots, whoever had tried to kill her mother wouldn't stand a chance if they tried again.

...

As soon as she arrived at the hospital, she saw a familiar tall man with waist length blonde hair standing by the entrance. It took all of her will not to roll her eyes and turn and walk the other way, but the worry of her mother kept her walking forwards, until his bright blue eyes caught sight of her and he rushed forward.

"Kerrina, I'm so glad your safe."

"Hello Uncle Milliardo. Why are you here?" she asked.

For a split second, he looked shocked, but just as instantly as it was there, he regained his composure and the look faded.

"Relena is my on and only sister. I had to see that she was okay."

Kerri supressed the urge to snort at his response, but instead chose not to say a word and head up to the floor Trowa had told her to go to, Milliardo close behind her. The moment he saw her, Trowa stepped aside from Relena's door and Kerri wasted no time in entering. Relena's eyes cracked open at the door opening and when she saw her daughter standing there she gave a sleepy smile.

"Hey sweetie." she said softly.

Seeing her mum lying there made something twinge in Kerri and she found herself rushing up and hugging her mother, tears rolling down her cheeks with the relief that yes, she truly would be okay. Relena gently stroked Kerri's hair, her own tears beginning to fall as she realised her daughter was worried about her along with the realisation that even though they sometimes had difficulties, Kerri had rushed to be with her from space. something a few years ago, she probably wouldn't have done.

Eventually, Kerri pulled away and brushed her eyes.

"Sorry about that."

Relena smiled.

"Never apologise for crying. Crying shows that you aren't afraid to show your true emotion."

Kerri nodded, then suddenly remembered her uncle outside.

"By the way Uncle Milliardo is here too."

Relena's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? I wonder why?" she asked.

Kerri smirked.

"Maybe because his baby sister got shot?" she suggested, a smile on her face.

Relena chuckled softly.

"Of course. Can you let him in please? I need to talk to him."

Kerri nodded and left the room, signalling to her uncle that he could now go in. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it briefly before entering the room and leaving Kerri in the hall with Trowa. Trowa saw the slight redness of her eyes and smiled, before giving her a warm hug.

"You okay there?" he asked.

"Uh-huh" she responded, but Trowa could tell that she was very shaken.

"She is going to be fine. We've tightened security and will be trying even harder to find the guys who did this."

Kerri nodded.

"Yeah I know. Duo's on his way as is Quatre. Who is Quatre bringing by the way? All he said was that he was picking someone up, but didn't mention who it was to me."

Trowa's eyes widened in genuine surprise at her news and he immediately walked to the end of the corridor and pulled his phone out to call Quatre. Unfortunately he received no answer and returned to Kerri's side with a frustrated frown on his face.

"I have no idea who it could be." he said.

Kerri also frowned, and crossed her arms.

"Really? Because the way you've just acted tells me you have at least _some _idea of who it could be but you just don't want to tell me."

Trowa let out a sigh, knowing that she was right.

"If I'm right, and I sincerely hope I'm not, he may have tracked down Heero Yuy to help find these guys."


	4. Enter Heero

_Thank you to all who have reviewed/favourited the story so far! Enjoy the next installment!_

_...  
_

Before Kerri had any time to ask further questions, Duo walked into the room, a murderous look on his face as a sheepish Quatre and a man Kerri had never met before walked in behind him.

"Uncle Duo!" Kerri called and rushed to give him a hug, one which he happily returned.

When Kerri pulled away, she noticed that Trowa had caught Quatre and was talking furiously to him outside the room. Duo winked reassuringly at her before he slipped out to join them, leaving Kerri standing in the room with only the stranger for company. She didn't want to follow her uncles out of the room, but also didn't want to go back into Relena's room just yet, so instead she settled for sitting in one of the empty chairs and observing the man, who sat silently in another chair at the other end of the room, his gaze firmly on Relena's door.

Kerri studied the man intently, noticing that he was about as tall as Duo, and though he seemed slim, she could see that he was made up of lean muscles. His hair, dark brown and shaggy, fell into his eyes, eyes that Kerri noticed were a very deep blue, not unlike her own. As she looked more closely at him, she began to feel a familiarity about him, as if she'd met him once before, but she knew that this man was someone she had never met, which only confused her. Suddenly, his gaze fell to her and she jumped, slightly embarrassed at being caught staring.

"You are Relena's niece?" he asked.

Kerri frowned at him.

"No, I'm her daughter."

The man's eyes widened in shock and he almost flew out of his chair and out the door to join the other three men that were still having a hushed discussion, and leaving a very confused young woman behind. Kerri simply rolled her eyes before deciding to rejoin her mother and uncle. The pair looked up at her as she entered, clearly having been in a deep discussion of their own and Kerri cleared her throat, suddenly nervous about what to say.

"Umm, Duo and uncle Quatre are here, but, well, Quatre's bought someone with him and the others seem to be pretty worked up about it."

Both adults reacted as she had expected, with surprise and suspicion and Kerri saw a flash of hope in Relena's eyes, before Milliardo grasped her shoulders gently.

"Who?" he asked.

"His name's Heero." she responded.

Ignoring the sudden rage in her uncle's eyes as he disappeared out of the room, Kerri turned to Relena and saw that while she looked surprised, her mother also had a look of fear and hope on her face.

"Mom? Who is he?" she asked.

Relena gave her a shaky smile and patted on the bed. Kerri sat down and held Relena's hand as she spoke.

"During the war, Heero wanted to kill me initially as he thought I would keep getting in his way, however after a short while, he changed his mind and instead, began to protect me. Needless to say, I was still a girl and fell in love with this strong, handsome stranger. He vanished after the war and reappeared a year later when I was kidnapped. Once again he vanished but did return a few times, mainly to watch over me at public events, but occassionally he would stay with me at the mansion. It went that way for a year, but I ruined it when I asked him to stay with me forever. He left soon after"

Kerri sat there in silence for a few moments, letting her mind process when suddenly she gasped.

"How long ago did he leave?" she asked.

Relena's eyes fell to the bed, and Kerri knew what she had just realised in her mind was in fact, true.

"22 years ago, almost."

Kerri took a deep breath before asking her next question, but was interrupted by Milliardo bursting into the room, dragging Heero behind him. He threw the younger man forward and pointed at Relena.

"Take a good look Yuy! If you hadn't left yet again, my sister would not be lying here!" he roared.

Kerri stepped back, not sure if she should leave or not, then decided that maybe it would be an idea to stay and try to understand her mother's past a bit more. She slid over to the chair sitting in the corner and dropped down on it, watching as the three of them continued.

"I left for her safety" Heero responded quietly.

"Yeah, and in the process broke her heart and left her alone right when she needed you most!"

Kerri's eyes furrowed in confusion and she saw Heero do the same after he'd had a quick glance over at her .

"Nothing to say Yuy? That's not exactly a shock." Milliardo teased.

"I have nothing to say to you, _Zechs_" Heero responded.

Milliardo straightened up and the next thing Kerri knew, he punched Heero, straight in the face. Relena screamed as the pair began to brawl.

"Milliardo! I do not want this stress right now!" Relena called, then grasped her shoulder and moaned in pain.

Immediately, Kerri glared and jumped up, punching the first thing in front of her, which unfortunately, was the same spot on Heero's face as her uncle's punch. Both men froze in their actions and turned to face her. She lowered her fist and glared harder at them.

"How DARE you both! Mom was shot just a few hours ago and all you can think about is starting a fight!? Both of you get the hell out, NOW!"

As soon as the door was shut, Kerri turned back to Relena, who had soft tears slowly moving down her face.

"Mom?"

Relena looked up and smiled.

"I'm sorry, it's just been a long, hard day for me."

"Hey, no need to apologise for crying, remember?" Kerri said with a friendly smile, that Relena returned.

"Now, I'm going to get a doctor to give you more pain killers then go and make sure Milliardo isn't killing that guy."

Relena chuckled.

"I would be more worried that Heero would kill your uncle."

Kerri laughed.

"Yeah, well I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

Relena nodded and with a last hug and smile, Kerri left the room, back to join the men.


	5. Making Plans

_Here's the next instalment! Sorry for the slight delay, I've been struggling a bit with uni work and personal life, but hopefully I'm back on track!_

Kerri stepped out of the room and immediately glared at the men seated outside. All of them glanced away from her except Duo, who stepped towards her and smiled.

"Soo, that went well" he joked.

She tried hard not to, but his comment, that as usual was so out of place, made her mouth twitch and before she knew it, she started giggling.

"I suppose it was a more interesting meeting." she agreed.

She moved away from Duo and turned back to the others.

"Let's go home. We can discuss the matter further there."

Around of nods responded and she left the room, Duo's arm firmly wrapped round her shoulders that were desperately trying to tremble with the adrenalin coursing through her body at the events. The ride back to the house was a silent one, everyone either lost in their own thoughts or simply staring at anything and everything to avoid further arguments. The moment the door clicked shut behind them, Kerri glared, and the mood instantly became more hostile.

"Someone had better tell me what that was all about back there or I swear to god I will shoot somebody."

She pulled out her gun, clicked the safety off and sat down on the stairs, her glare unwavering. Duo felt a shiver go up his back. He had seen that glare many times, but not on her face. He glanced over at the stoic pilot standing next to him and gulped when he saw a similar glare on his own face.

"Kerri, please..." Quatre tried, a saddened expression on his face.

"No!" she yelled and, shocking them all, fired a warning shot into the ceiling.

As bits of plaster fell and landed on her she simply shrugged.

"I said, I want answers. I'm old enough to know the truth. I stopped being a child years ago, why do you all have this incessant need to always protect me from the things I need to know?" she asked.

This time, Trowa stepped forward.

"This man is the pilot Heero Yuy." he said simply, his voice calm.

The gun lowered slightly, but the grip on it remained tight.

"I need more than that. Why did he and uncle Milliardo start a fight there and then? Why is he even here?" she asked, suspicion filling her gaze.

"He and your uncle tried to kill each other back in the war. They pretty much hate each other, and I think Milliardo never got over it" Duo explained.

Kerri nodded, no emotions showing, something that worried Duo greatly as she had a wild temper when angered.

"And he's here why?" she asked, this time turning her heated gaze to Quatre.

Quatre glanced at Heero quickly before responding.

"He may have left your mother, but he never stopped following her, protecting her from the shadows. Now that this has happened, we asked him to come back out from the shadows to help us protect her. We need his help Kerri, he can protect her in ways we can't."

Kerri shook her head.

"No- he left her! I saw the pain in her eyes when he walked into that room! It's not fair to do this to her!"

Duo finally moved to her and gently touched the arm that was raised.

"Kerri, the threat is serious, we can't protect her alone. Please, believe us that we _need_ him."

Kerri saw the worry in his eyes and realised that he wasn't lying. It was Duo, he _never _lied to her. Slowly, she lowered the gun and allowed him to take it off her. She sank to the step and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"I..just don't want to see her get hurt." She mumbled.

"None of us do sweetheart. But none of us want to see her dead either." Quatre soothed.

She turned her gaze to the main who was standing as silent as he had been at the hospital when she first met him. His eyes met hers and she stood again.

"Fine, but the moment these guys are out of the picture, so are you, okay? I will not allow you to hurt my mom like you did before."

A single nod, but his eyes held the promise that he would keep his word and leave once it was over. With a sigh, Kerri finally relaxed and smiled.

"Glad we sorted that. And sorry for threatening to shoot you guys."

Everyone minus Heero smiled at her and she grinned.

"So, how about we get some drinks and sit and discuss an action plan?" Duo called out.

Kerri let out a small laugh.

"Sounds good to me." she agreed.

...

Once they were all seated, Kerri looked at Heero an expectantly.

"Right, as you're the one that will be protecting us, I'd like to hear your plans"

Heero nodded, his eyes darkening as the mood grew more serious. Kerri sipped her tea, the taste that usually comforted her suddenly bitter in her mouth. Suppressing a shudder, she placed the mug back onto the table. Trowa saw, but kept his mouth closed at the unusualness of her actions, knowing that usually, she nursed tea more than Duo would chocolate. His lips narrowed but he chose not to say anything as he knew she would just become unnecessarily uncomfortable and right now, she needed the most security she could get.

"So, what's the plan then?" Duo asked, completely oblivious of Kerri's actions.

"Firstly, security needs to be upped."

Kerri leaned forward.

"Well, that's obvious. I was already thinking of proposing to Une to allow nightly patrols both inside and outside the estate and keep security on site and with mom 24 hours a day."

Heero nodded, a part of him that he'd never felt before stirring inside him. Not knowing what it was, he pushed it aside, forcing his thoughts back to the present.

"Good, but it needs to be more than that. If you really want to keep both you and your mother safe, you need guards not only when outside the property but inside too. I will be living here until this has been resolved."

Anger surged through Kerri and she couldn't stop herself from slamming her fist on the table, causing the men to all jump at the sudden noise.

"What, and then that's it? You're just going to leave?! You broke her heart once, why would you do that again? No, I'm not having it. You are NOT staying here. I will stay here until it is resolved, after all, I am a preventer myself and I know this house's exits and entrances better than anyone."

Duo was the first to respond.

"Kerri, I agree that you should stay here, but I also think Heero should too. He has no other commitments, so he is the best to stay here and watch over you both. Trowa also said he's going to stay too, as he also has no commitments other than Catherine. We'll be upping the guards stationed here and you'll both have either Heero or Trowa with you whenever you leave."

Kerri suddenly straightened, her spine unnaturally rigid.

"What do you mean by 'both'?" she asked, her voice low and cautious, immediately putting four out of the five men on alert. Heero however, wasn't so fortunate as to recognise the signals.

"Your mother and you. Your mother is their main target for now, however there is a chance they will come after you."

Kerri smirked, betraying an arrogance hidden deep within her. An arrogance she rarely displayed.

"Funny that. Nobody except the people in this room plus a very few others know who I really am. To the rest of the world, I'm Duo's adopted daughter." she said, a satisfied smile on her face that bordered on smug.

Heero stared back, unfazed by her smile. Instead, he pulled out a slim device from his pocket and after pressing a few buttons, slid it over to her. She glanced down and the smile immediately vanished, replaced by fear, pure and raw. Her breath stopped, and her stomach dropped, an icy wave of terror crashing through her. She wanted to scream, but her throat constricted, stopping her. Instead, all that came out was a strangled cry.


	6. Shocking Discoveries

_A very quick update from me, a pretty small chapter but I thnk it's a crucial one as it answers a couple of questions. Enjoy!_

_..._

Quatre was the first to sense her panic, and the second she let out her cry, he was instantly by her side.

"Kerrina, what is it?" he asked her, desperate for her to answer him as he felt the weight of her panic threaten to overwhelm him.

Kerri wanted to answer, but the sudden panic she felt wouldn't let her. Black spots began to swim in her vision as she desperately tried to gasp for air, but she felt like there was an invisible force controlling her, stopping her from functioning. Before she could do anything else, the black completely covered her vision and the last thing she was aware of, she felt as though someone was pulling her downward.

"Kerri!" Quatre yelled in a panic as her eyes suddenly went blank and she pitched forward.

Heero, reacting quickly, was the one to catch her before she fell completely off the sofa. Silently, he gathered her up in his arms and disappeared out of the room, Duo closely following him with worry and fear in his expression. Quatre rubbed at his chest above his heart and glanced at Trowa as the taller man leaned across the table and picked up the device that Heero had shown Kerri.

"What is it?" Qauatre asked when Trowa's eyes widened in surprise.

Wordlessly, Trowa handed the device to him, and Quatre looked down. Looking up at him was a photo of Relena, smiling with her arms round a younger Kerri who was grinning at the camera. Beneath that was the title 'Mother and Daughter' followed by a comment stating 'do NOT believe what we are led to believe. Relena Peacecraft does indeed have an heir, and she too must be destroyed'. Quatre looked back at Trowa, a fire in his eyes that clearly showed his anger and worry. Wufei took the device off Quatre and his lips tightened.

"Where did this come from? And how does Heero have it?" He wondered out loud.

"It came from the group that are trying to kill Relena. Somehow, they managed to hack into the hospital's private database and found that Kerri and Relena are mother and daughter. As to how the information was obtained, I infiltrated them and stole this device. They plan to release it to the public, to make a bigger impact when they kill kerri as well as Relena" Heero spoke as he entered the room, a grim expression on his face.

"Where's Duo?" Trowa asked, fighting against the urge to punch something as he battled against his rage.

"Upstairs keeping a watch on Kerri. I've already told him what was on this."

Quatre turned his worried gaze to Heero.

"Is there any way to stop this from being leaked to the public?"

Heero solemnly shook his head.

"I tried but it's already reached the press. By tomorrow the world will know that Kerri is none other than Relena's daughter. They want to bring her into the open to make more of an impact when they kill her."

Quatre gasped and his eyes widened in horror.

"Surely they aren't going to try to kill Kerri too?" he said, his eyes pleading that it was some kind of joke.

Heero simply nodded and Quatre sank into the seat behind him, worry causing his face to crease.

"We can't allow it to happen. We _won't_ allow it to happen." Trowa stated simply.

Duo entered the room at that moment, his face tight and fists clenched, a silent warning that at that moment in time, he was not a man to be pushed too far.

"You'd best believe we won't allow it to happen. Thankfully, Kerri is a pretty damn smart kid, so I think she will get through this okay. Plus, she's been in the military four years now, she can defend herself should anything happen to her. I think for now, she should be allowed to carry on as normal with minimum security, and focus our attentions on Relena."

Heero blinked a few times, mainly as he was so used to Duo being the joker of the group. This serious, rational side of Duo was so alien to Herro, he coudn't help but marvel at how the braided pilot had changed since they last met.

"How is she?" Quatre asked.

"sleeping. I think the shock of Relena combined with all of this pushed her mind too far and it's chosen to shut down on her. I think she'll be okay though."

Quatre nodded, watching Heero out of the corner of his eye as the other pilot slipped out of the room, as silently as a shadow.


	7. Daughter's Anguish

_Here's the next installment__..._

When Kerri woke, she initially lay there, simply staring blankly at the ceiling. She just couldn't believe that somebody out there was vindictive enough to publicly out her, which in turn was likely to cause the public to lose some of their trust in her mother. Closing her eyes again briefly, she raised her arm to pinch the bridge of her nose to fend off the oncoming migraine she could feel in the back of her skull. She let out a small groan as she realised that she felt completely helpless and even powerless to stop these people from releasing the information they had.

"You're awake."

She didn't scream, simply pulled out the gun she kept under her pillow and pointed it in the direction of the voice as she sat up, refusing to show that the person had made her jump. She lowered it again when she saw Heero sitting on a chair in the corner of her room and let out the breath she had been holding, while at the same time mentally telling her heart that it could stop pounding against her rib cage now.

"Why are you in my room?" She asked him, suddenly curious.

"I wanted to ensure you were okay. It was an...unexpected reaction you showed when you saw that file" he responded.

"Oh." was the only response she could come up with, her mind whirring again.

"There is something else you need to know. The others don't want me to tell you yet, but I have a feeling you don't like being kept in the dark."

Kerri gave a small smirk, knowing he was completely right.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The only reason they want the world to know about you is because they want to eradicate the Peacecraft bloodline."

Kerri gasped and gripped her bedsheets tightly.

"The bastards. By revealing me and then killing mom, the world's attention will be on me. I guess then they want to kill me to create an even bigger impact."

Heero nodded, the same feeling as earlier that evening stirring, but he still didn't know what it was. He admired her courage however and felt himself impressed that she was able to put the pieces together so quickly and still remain relatively calm about the situation.

"Exactly. Thankfully, the world still thinks your uncle is dead, so the group know nothing about him or his children."

Kerri felt herself sag slightly in relief.

"Thank god. At least they will be safe." she said, shaking the image of her two little cousins being killed out of her mind. The two eldest, she knew, could look after themselves, but Josiah and Maria were only four and six, and the thought of any harm coming to them chilled her more than she cared to admit.

Heero watched her for a moment when a noise outside caught his attention. Kerri heard it too as they both moved to the window, guns poised, ready for any threats. Heero raised an eyebrow and Kerri smiled.

"I grew up being taught caution" shew simply said.

They glanced out of the window and Kerri growled slightly at the sight of a reporter trying to climb over the gate. Ignoring Heero's warning, she opened the window and called out.

"Get down from that gate right now or you will be shot by our guards!"

Immediately the person dropped from the gate and Kerri sighed and shook her head.

"I guess those guys must've leaked the information."

"Hn" Heero nodded in agreement.

Seconds later, Duo crashed into the room, closely followed by Quatre and Trowa.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his eyes wide in panic.

Kerri chuckled.

"It's all fine Duo. Just a reporter trying to break in, nothing life-threatening."

Duo sagged in relief against her wardrobe.

"Thank god. When I hear you shout I immediately thought the worst had happened."

Kerri chuckled, before narrowing her eyes.

"Nope. However it seems the press have been given that information. I think I need to head back to the hospital. Mom needs to know this before she is bombarded with questions in the morning."

"Are you sure? You've only had three hours sleep." Quatre asked, parental concern in his eyes.

"It's fine. I just need mom to know what's happening then I can sleep."

...

Relena stared at her daughter in total shock.

"Please tell me this is a sick joke?" She asked, her eyes pleading.

"I'm sorry mom but it's not. By the morning the whole world and all the colonies will know that I am your daughter. Heero tried to destroy the information when he infiltrated their base, but he was unsuccessful. Don't worry though, he has a plan to keep you safe." to emphasise her point, she forced a reassuring smile onto her face.

Relena sagged into her pillows, her lips pursed together.

"Kerri, about Heero, there is something you need to know before that is leaked too."

Kerri sat down and took her mother's hand in her own.

"I think I know already." she said.

Relena's eyes widened.

"How?" she asked.

"Maybe the fact he looks and acts a lot like me? Or possibly the fact he disappeared around the same time you fell pregnant with me? It's not too hard to figure it out. I think he knows it too. He's my dad, isn't he?"

Relena closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened her mouth to answer.

"Kerri..."

A commotion outside cut their conversation short. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and two men smashed the window and jumped in through the hole they had created. Kerri pulled out her gun as Relena scream and immediately fired at them. One fell, but the other returned her fire. A searing pain shot through her arm but she didn't pause, more concerned by the fact two more men had entered through the main door and were also shooting. Panic flooded through her; where were the others? Almost as if answering her mental thought, the room turned even more havoc-ridden as Heero and Trowa entered and killed two of the intruders. Sensing something was wrong, Kerri turned to face Relena, only to see her mother was slumped forwards, blood slowly trickling down her chest, where there was a clear bullet hole right where her heart was.

"Mom!" Kerri screamed, all care for herself going as she tried to reach her mother's side.

Before she could reach, the last intruder pulled something out of his pocket, dropped it on the floor and jumped out of the window. Immediately, Heero's eyes widened and he grabbed Kerri, throwing both himself and her out of the room just as the device exploded.

"MOM!" Kerri scremed, her heart pounding, tears streaming down her face as she could only sit helplessly and watch the room engulf itself in flames.


End file.
